What Does an Assistant Cook Do?

Assistant Cooks prepare, cook and assemble a wide variety of foods including short order grill, breakfasts, sandwiches, simple salads, desserts and vegetables. They may carve cooked meats, poultry, fish and game. An Assistant Cook must also have a good working knowledge of table service, sanitation, soups, sauces and more.

Job -Related Skills, Interests and Values

• preparing and cooking complete meals or individual dishes
• helping plan menus, determining the size of food portions, estimating food requirements and costs
• communicating with suppliers through the ordering and monitoring of supplies
• helping the Cook/ Chef prepare dinners
• preparing Soups and Sauces, Salads and Dressings
• performing job duties with care and creativity
• maintaining personal cleanliness

What Preparation and Training Do You Need?

An Assistant Cook is an unrestricted trade so you do not need a Certificate of Qualification to work in this trade. However, apprenticeship training of 3000 hours is recommended. You may also challenge the examination after only 2000 hours (one year) of apprenticeship training. In your first year of training you will be required to take 12 weeks of in-school training.

Employers or unions may require a Grade 12 although Grade 10 is the legal minimum requirement to be apprenticed in this trade. To be a success in this trade you will need courses in math, weights and measures, food preparation and workplace safety. Exposure to this career through secondary school coop placements or through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) would be an asset. You could also benefit from gaining computer knowledge for tasks such as recipe retrieval and inventory control.

Apprenticeship Subject Pathways provides additional information for students/parents/educators:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/training/apprenticeship/skills/pathwaye.pdf

What’s Your Future as an Assistant Cook?

Assistant Cooks may work shifts, evenings, weekends or holidays, and depending on their place of employment, may find themselves under pressure to produce meals quickly. As an Assistant Cook, you may be exposed to sharp knives, hot appliances and dangerous equipment: cuts and burns are an occupational hazard. Employment prospects are considered limited through to the year 2007 because although demand is rising through trends in dining out, the retirement rate at present is low. You may progress from Assistant Cook to Chef/Cook or Hospitality Management positions depending on your interest and ability. Assistant Cooks may find employment with:

• Institutions (Hospitals, Nursing Homes etc)
• Small businesses such as restaurants or catering companies
• Health and Social Services firms
• Hospitals
• Large recreational chains or resorts

Other sources of information about this occupation and the field in general include the Canadian Culinary Federation at www.ccfcc.ca, the Food Service association located on the web at: www.foodserviceworld.com, and the World Association of Cooks Societies at www.wacs2000.org.

 Wage Rate

• Apprentices generally earn less than fully qualified Journeypeople, and may earn as little as minimum wage to begin
• This rate increases gradually as you acquire skills and gain competency
• Earnings in this occupation vary widely; factors affecting earnings include the type of employer and the geographic location; fully qualified Assistant Cooks can earn in the range of $30,000 to $45,000 per year depending on the employer

Ask Yourself: Is Working as an Assistant Cook for You?

Self-Rating

If you answered Yes to most of these questions, a career as an Assistant Cook may be for you!

You may also want to explore other careers that require similar interests and skills, such as:

• Cook
• Baker
• Chef
• Baker
• Restaurant Owner or Manager

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